


A is for Appreciation

by prefacing



Series: Pairing Alphabet Meme [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Friendship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, also lots of tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:33:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1496809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prefacing/pseuds/prefacing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the Pairing Alphabet Meme I'm slowly working my way through.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A is for Appreciation

**Author's Note:**

> I WASN'T GONNA POST THIS ORIGINALLY because I realized someone else had already written a way way way better fic with pretty much this exact same scene but it seemed too weird to do this meme and not have A and I am far too lazy to write something new so....this is just here for posterity.

It's late, and Armin's candle is down to its last half-centimeter.

No doubt everyone else is sound asleep in their bunks by now - as he technically should be - but he has only ten pages left before he's read through every strategy in this book and committed them all to the neat stack of papers to his left. He needs those strategies, needs to prove that he isn't useless simply because he can't run as fast or carry as much or fight as well as all the other trainees. When it comes to the physical, he knows he'll forever be at a disadvantage but if he can just make up for it with his intellect and sharp wits, he thinks there might be hope for him. A chance to stay at Eren and Mikasa's side, instead of always three steps behind.

The whine of a chair being pulled across the ground pulls Armin from his thoughts. His head jerks up, the base of his skull meeting the back of his chair in a dull thud, and a low hiss of pain passes his lips.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

Even in a whisper, Armin knows who that voice belongs to. He looks up to see Marco, perched neatly in the chair next to him, a steaming mug held in his hands. Noticing Armin's gaze, Marco offers him the mug, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"I thought you could use some tea."

Murmuring his thanks, Armin grabs the mug from Marco and takes a small sip. It's warm, soothing, much like the presence of the boy next to him. His eyes flicker over.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

The response is both prompt and surprisingly cheeky given both the late hour and Marco's usual angelic demeanor, one that's earned him a number of admirers both platonic and otherwise. "I could say the same for you. You know Instructor Shadis doesn't like us staying up past curfew."

Armin's mouth twists as he sets the mug aside and returns his attention to the near-finished book in front of him. "I only have ten more pages and I—I need to know that I can do this, remember all of this so I can be useful. Everyone else is good at the gear and I..." He doesn't look at Marco, unwilling to chance the pity he's sure must be on the older boy's face. He can handle disapproval, disgust from anyone else, but he doesn't want to be the poor recipient of worthless pity from someone he's come to respect and admire so much.

There's a hand on his then, warm fingers curling tight around his own, and Armin turns to see Marco gazing at him, brown eyes wide and uncharacteristically serious.

"You _are_ useful, Armin. Maybe not physically but you're so smart. You're the smartest out of all of us here, everyone knows that, and I...a lot of people really admire that."

It's hard to tell in the dim candlelight but Armin thinks there's a flush spread across Marco's cheeks. One, two, three more heartbeats pass by before Marco releases Armin's hand, pushing his chair back so he can stand and run a hand through his hair.

"I guess I should get going though. But you really should sleep soon."

Armin can't help but smile at the concern plain in Marco's voice; despite his fatigue, a little bubble of happiness wells up at the knowledge that there's another person outside of Eren and Mikasa who genuinely seems to care about him.

"I will, I promise."

Simple though his answer is, it's enough to bring a pleased smile to Marco's lips. "Good night, Armin."

"Good night, Marco."


End file.
